Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Tarleton Group Practice on 25th August 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about the services provided and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they did not always find it easy to make an appointment with a named GP however there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice:

• Parents of patients with a learning disability were encouraged to plan for the future and staff had helped them to find several patients sheltered living arrangements.

• Staff had received training from a local transgender group and ensured that they received appropriate care and support.

• The practice involves staff comprehensively to develop and improve patient care. A staff working group representing clinicians and administrative staff had been set up to develop the one stop shop approach to supporting people with long term conditions. Consultation with staff had led to emergency packs to treat patients in anaphylactic shock in each treatment room. QOF results from the previous year were reviewed and a plan to improve them in the subsequent year was drawn up. Action included adjusting appointment times for nurses, annual reviews for patients with dementia, changes to coding particularly to identify house- bound patients.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice